PPBM Youth chief takes former MP to task for saying former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad destroyed moderate Islam, calling it a 'disgusting allegation'.
PETALING JAYA: PPBM Youth chief Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman has come to Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s defence and says the former prime minister did not destroy moderate Islam in Malaysia.
Responding to remarks made by former MP Tawfik Ismail in a recent article, Syed Saddiq said Tawfik should be looking at Prime Minister Najib Razak instead of pointing fingers at the PPBM chairman.
Syed Saddiq said Najib had allowed the saga of amending Act 355 to proceed for his own political gain despite massive division on the ground.
He was referring to PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s private member’s bill to amend the Shariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 (Act 355) to enhance punishments that the shariah courts could impose.
“Mahathir preaches a far moderate Islam than Najib. You can call him so many things, even a dictator, but to say that he destroyed moderate Islam is just a disgusting allegation,” Syed Saddiq said.
In an interview with FMT yesterday, Tawfik asked Pakatan Harapan (PH) to state its stand on the policy of infusing Islamic values into administrative procedures, which was introduced when Mahathir was prime minister and PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim was his deputy.
Tawfik, who was Sungai Benut MP for one term (1986-1990), claimed that Mahathir’s Dasar Penerapan Nilai-Nilai Islam had caused deep divisions between the different races and even within the Muslim community.
“While the idea of instilling Islamic values is laudable, not much thought was given to its implementation. Mahathir and Anwar are both big on ideas but not so hot on the follow through,” he told FMT.
Tawfik had also noted that when Abdullah Ahmad Badawi came to power and promoted Islam Hadhari (Civilisational Islam), both Mahathir and Anwar belittled the effort.
“They mobilised hardliners in order to discredit him. Why would the two of them be any different in 2018?”
Tawfik had also taken PH to task for allegedly lacking firmness in opposing Hadi’s private member’s bill.
Syed Saddiq said Mahathir had ensured that Malaysia took the path of moderation and as a result, the country was known worldwide as a Muslim democracy.
He said during Mahathir’s era, Malaysia was a leader in moderation and even Middle East countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates looked to Malaysia’s version of Islam.
However, he said, there was now a complete reversal.
“Now, we are just followers, as we are looking to Saudi Arabia.”
Syed Saddiq said it was ironic that Mahathir was labelled as a hardliner while on the other hand, PAS had labelled the PPBM chairman as the most anti-Islam prime minister who had always opposed any Islamic development.
“Yet, Tawfik states Mahathir did all the Islamisation and everything else.”
Tawfik responds to Syed Saddiq
Meanwhile, in an immediate response, Tawfik asked the PPBM Youth chief: “Why don’t you check your sources and see my legal action against RUU355? And also my record of speaking against the creeping theocracy wrought by Mahathir and Anwar?”
According to Tawfik, Anwar had joined Umno on the condition that his Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement (Abim) agenda would become Umno’s agenda. Anwar led Abim as president from 1974 until he was roped in by Mahathir to join Umno in 1982.
“Read the article again and you will see that I attack both coalitions on this issue.
“Your sole MP Muhyiddin Yassin is also complicit, when he was in Mahathir’s cabinet, for the current mess regarding religion and he was silent on RUU 355. Care to explain why?
“Religion is the wedge dividing everyone. Get real,” Tawfik said to Syed Saddiq.
Tawfik is the son of former deputy prime minister Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman. -FMT
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